


Dance With Me

by notbloodylikely



Category: British Royalty RPF, The Crown (TV)
Genre: Duty Calls, F/M, I Ship It, I continue to torture myself with this ship, Love, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Romance, Secret love affairs are hard, future reference for The Crown season 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:20:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23070841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notbloodylikely/pseuds/notbloodylikely
Summary: Little something I threw together this afternoon. Set during King Olav V of Norway's state visit to the UK in April 1988, by which time I believe Anne and Tim had been secretly seeing one another for over a year. Here they are trying to slip away from a state occasion after being apart for some weeks. Feels prevail and caution is thrown to the wind, followed by clothing.
Relationships: Anne | Princess Royal (1950 - Present)/Timothy Laurence (1955 - Present)
Kudos: 12





	Dance With Me

He couldn’t take his eyes off of her. But then that was nothing new. Lately she was all he could seem to think about, and whenever she was near him, he could look at nothing else. Commander Tim Laurence took a deep breath and tried to steer his thoughts to something else, anything else, but it proved hopeless. They always came back to her in the end.

The state visit of King Olav V of Norway was drawing to a close with a traditional banquet in St. George's Hall at Windsor Castle. The visit had been a great success and now, with the official business over with, the guests had spilled into the adjoining ballroom for a more relaxed atmosphere of drinks and dancing.

Tim was, quite frankly, bored. He was still on duty as equerry to Her Majesty, but having attended a number of state visits in his term, he was well aware that this part of the evening required little input from him. The ballroom was crowded with members from both Royal families and numerous dignataries and guests, some standing and mingling while others slowly swayed to the music coming from the string orchestra.

Princess Anne was in the former category. Holding a glass of wine that she’d been sipping for the last half an hour, she was talking animatedly to Harald and Sonja, the Crown Prince and Princess of Norway. Her floor-length lilac gown complimented her porcelain skin and accentuated her tiny waist and long, slender neck while the tiara and the jewels she was wearing twinkled in the light. _Not as much as her eyes did_ , Tim thought to himself, just as those same eyes met his across the crowded ballroom.

They had been stealing glances at one another since the beginning of the evening, but this was more than just a quick glance: she was positively _gazing_ at him. Those bright blue eyes fixed on his green ones, invading his thoughts before a wry little smile appeared on her lips from having caught him staring at her. Trying his best not to chuckle at her childish satisfaction, he composed himself and had a quick look around to see if anyone had noticed. But nobody was paying him any attention. Well, except for one person.

“Would you excuse me?” Anne smiled as she left Harold and Sonja and took another sip of her wine, crossing the floor and exchanging pleasantries with several guests on her way before she finally reached her target.

“Your Royal Highness.” Tim said curtly, mindful that there were several people within earshot of them.

“Are you enjoying the evening, Commander?”

“Very much.”

“You liar, I saw you trying not to yawn when the first waltz had barely finished.” She never missed a trick. Grinning, he couldn’t resist playing along.

“Were you spying on me, Ma’am?” This only served to heighten that mischievous glint in her eye as she moved a bit closer to him.

“I was. Just as you have been spying on me all evening.” He couldn’t deny that. He had another quick glance around to see if anyone was paying them any attention, and found that nobody was.

“Not spying, just.. admiring. It’s, rather difficult not to.”

In that moment, Anne cursed everyone else in that room. For had it not been for the inconvenience of their presence, she would have fallen right into Tim’s arms and kissed him. It was already difficult keeping their feelings for one another a secret, but when they were faced with situations like these - having to practically ignore one another in a room full of people - it was torturous. Especially as it had been virtually impossible trying to find time for each other recently. This night had only served as another hurdle.

As she stopped herself from embracing him, the music changed from a rather upbeat folk song to a slower, softer ballad. Anne smiled.

“You know why you’re not enjoying the evening, don’t you?”

“I said I was enjo-“

“I _know_ what you said, but you’re _not_ enjoying it. Do you know why?” Obstinate as always, he thought, shaking his head at her.

“No, Ma’am. Please, enlighten me.”

“Because you’re not participating.” He shot her a look of curiosity.

“What do you m-“

“Dance with me.” _Oh_. Well he certainly hadn’t been expecting that, and she could tell immediately by the look of astonishment on his face, as though she’d just suggested he take her there and then in the middle of the ballroom.

“I-What? We-Anne-”

“Steady, Commander.” She smirked, enjoying this far more than she should’ve been.

“We can’t.”

“And why not?“

“You know why not. I’m on duty, I can’t-”

“It doesn’t matter. Every year at the Ghillies Ball, I dance with members of the household!”

“We both know that’s different. The Ghillies Ball is not an official state banquet for one, and-” he didn’t need to explain the other reason why they shouldn’t be seen dancing together at an official function. They both knew it well. But she’d missed him so much and being so close to him and not being able to touch him had pushed her past the point of caring.

“Please Tim?” _Damn her._ It was rare that he could deny her anything she asked of him, and this was indeed one of those occasions. He looked around. The majority of the guests were now dancing. Perhaps they wouldn’t notice. _Fuck, of course they would_. But focusing his eyes on her once again, her hand now extended expectantly, he gulped and intertwined their fingers. Its only a dance, he told himself as she lead him onto the dancefloor.

But it wasn’t only a dance. Still holding her hand in his while the other enveloped her waist, Anne brought herself even closer against him as they began to slowly move to the music. He must’ve been dreaming. Or had a death wish. Or both. He was slow dancing with her. In public. In front of God and everyone. He’d gone mad. What was he thinking? Everyone would know! But could a courteous dance really betray their feelings? This frantic cluster of fear and worry played out in his mind, but on the outside, he appeared relaxed and cool. Soon enough, he’d composed himself, even giving in to a smile at his dance partner, who was clearly enjoying herself, smug at having gotten her way.

“See? Just a dance. No one is coming to drag you off to the Tower.” She purred, closing the distance between them even further, making his heart thump harder against his chest.

“No, but they would be if they knew what-“

“But they _don’t_.” She cut in. It was still their secret, and although keeping it was growing more painful as each day passed, they felt a childlike sense of excitement from the knowledge that nobody else in the room knew what true feelings existed between them. Blue eyes didn’t leave green for long seconds as they swayed together, with Anne having to quickly remind herself where she was when she attempted to rest her head against his chest. She didn’t refrain from inching even closer into him, so much so that a sheet of paper wouldn’t have fit between them.

“I really haven’t been able to stop thinking about you,” she purred, though to anyone else, they might well have been discussing the weather, her face gave nothing away.

“That makes two of us.” He replied, giving her waist a little squeeze.

“All week, I’ve been desperately longing to have you beside me.. _Inside me_..” Her candour caught him off guard and he let out a sigh of frustration, arousal stirring within him.

“Anne, you’re killing me.” He murmured, the scent of her hair and the warmth of her body pressed so close against his only adding to his pain. As the song came to an end and the music became more lively once again, they broke apart.

“Follow me to my office in five minutes.” She whispered after thanking him for the dance.

“I can’t-“ But the next second she’d turned away and began walking through the couples on the dancefloor, heading towards the main entrance. Leaving the floor himself, he went to stand alone in a corner in an effort to calm himself. He couldn’t leave. He was still on duty. Someone would notice. And then they might also notice her absence and put two and two together. But Christ, he wanted her _so_ badly.

He almost jumped out of his skin when the Duchess of York bumped into him, and began to joke about some of the guests in her typical candid, lively manner. He laughed when she did and feigned interest, but he really wasn’t paying attention to a word she was saying. His eyes were searching for Anne in the sea of sparkling jewels and rich colours, but to no avail. He began to walk with Sarah, getting her a drink and politely inquiring about her family, all the while still scanning the room. Then finally he found her, speaking to King Olav V near the doorway, who had obviously stopped her from getting away. Their eyes met across the room for the hundredth time that night and the next moment, he watched her excuse herself and, with one last look, turn and leave the ballroom.

He couldn’t wait. He quickly pointed her solitary husband out to Sarah, and when she excused herself and made her way over to him, he had his chance. He slipped out of the room unnoticed, then making sure there was nobody around, bounded up the vast staircase two at a time. His heart racing and his temperature rising, he rushed down the corridor and caught a hint of lilac silk as she turned the corner ahead of him. Another quick glance and he was hot on her heels, the pair of them now racing to her suite of rooms like teenagers, giddy with anticipation. They practically fell into the room in their hurry, before standing opposite one another, panting.

“Lock the door, Tim.”

“Yes Ma’am.”

-

Downstairs, the party continued with all of the guests happily chatting and dancing, blissfully unaware of the frenzied little celebration that was happening in a suite of rooms on the second floor.


End file.
